Hitherto table tops for table tennis tables have been made not only of wood but also of plastics, especially unsaturated polyester resins reinforced with glass fibres, of metals, especially steel or aluminum, of concrete and of asbestos cement.
For some time, the market has indicated a need for weatherproof table tennis tables, which can stay in the open air during the summer season, or the whole year round, without suffering any damage in their external appearance, their mechanical and static properties, and their playing behaviour (ball bounce) due to the effect of weather.
Hitherto, table tennis tables having tops of wood and/or plastics, have been damaged in relatively short periods due to weather while remaining in the open air, the damage appearing in the form of cracks, yellow discalanation and deformation.
Table tops of metal, concrete and asbestos cement have the significant disadvantage of a very great weight, and are therefore mostly mounted in a fixed position. Moreover the bouncing behaviour of table tennis balls on such tops is often unsatisfactory and does not meet the regulations of the International Table Tennis Association. Tops of asbestos cement have moreover a restricted flexibility, which leads to cracks and splintering caused by local stresses and impacts thin concrete tops frequently suffer the same damage.